The Lord of the Rings franchise is based on the epic fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. There are eight adaptations of the novels, with seven movies and a TV series. At present, they are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The novel, which takes place in Middle-earth, started as a follow-up to Tolkien's 1937 children's book The Hobbit but gradually grew into a much bigger piece. With more than 150 million copies sold, The Lord of the Rings, which was published in phases between 1937 and 1949, is among the best-selling novels ever.
The Lord of the Rings in chronological order
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay produced the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. It is based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The series portrays the key moments of the Second Age in Middle-earth and is set thousands of years before the novel.
It premiered on September 1, 2022. Amazon reports that the first season, which ran from July to October, was the most watched of any Prime Video original series. The second season aired in 2024 between August and October.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an anime fantasy film directed by Kenji Kamiyama. The script is written by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou. It is based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It follows the story of the famous Rohan king Helm Hammerhand and is set about 200 years before Peter Jackson's film trilogies The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014).
It premiered on December 3, 2024. Warner Bros. Pictures started playing it in theatres internationally on December 5 and in the US on December 13.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The 2012 epic high fantasy adventure film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 book The Hobbit and is the prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Warner Bros. Pictures released An Unexpected Journey on December 12 in New Zealand and December 14 in the United States after it had its Wellington premiere on November 28, 2012. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, and it made $1.017 billion at the box office, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2012.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a 2013 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro wrote the screenplay. It is the second part of The Hobbit trilogy.
The Desolation of Smaug had its Los Angeles premiere on December 2, 2013, and it was released in the US on December 13 and New Zealand on December 12. The film, which was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures through its subsidiary New Line Cinema, earned $959 million at the global box office and was largely praised by critics. It was the fourth highest-grossing movie of 2013.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
The 2014 epic high fantasy adventure film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro. It is the last installment of The Hobbit trilogy.
Warner Bros. Pictures released the movie on December 11 in New Zealand and December 17 in the United States after it had its London premiere on December 1, 2014. The movie grossed $962.2 million worldwide making it the second highest-grossing movie of 2014.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings, was the inspiration for the 2001 epic high fantasy adventure film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It was directed by Peter Jackson and based on a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson. It was the first installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
It had its London premiere on December 10, 2001, at the Odeon Leicester Square. It was released in the United States on December 19 and in New Zealand on December 20. During its initial theatrical run, it brought in over $868 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing movie of 2001 and, at the time of its release, the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Two Towers, the second book of J. R. R. Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings, was adapted into the 2002 epic high fantasy adventure film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It was directed by Peter Jackson and based on a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Jackson. The film is the second installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Following its December 5, 2002, premiere in New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre, it was released on December 18 in the US and December 19 in New Zealand. It was the highest-grossing movie of 2002 and, at the time of its release, the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, behind Titanic and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, with a global box office total of over $936 million during its initial run. The total revenue after re-releasing it totaled $951 million.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson. It is based on the third volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, published in 1955. It is the third and last installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
After making its premiere on December 1, 2003, at Wellington's Embassy Theatre, it was released on December 17 in the United States and December 18, 2003, in New Zealand. With a global box office total of nearly $1.1 billion, it became the highest-grossing movie of 2003, the second-highest-grossing movie of all time when it was in theatres, and the highest-grossing movie ever distributed by New Line Cinema.
The Lord of the Rings in release order
The Lord of the Rings films and show were released in the following sequence:
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power TV Series (2022)
8. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
FAQs about The Lord of the Rings
A. Viewers can watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy as follows: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
A. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) is the first Lord of the Rings movie.
A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy received worldwide critical acclaim and has an IMDb rating of 8.9/10.
